Woman killed when train hits her in north Modesto

A 34-year-old woman was killed when a train hit her in northwest Modesto on Tuesday night.

According to Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves, the woman was walking southbound on the railroad tracks along Brink Avenue near Beckwith Road when the Union Pacific train, also traveling south, hit her. The incident was called in to police at 11:29 p.m.

The train operator was unable to stop the train in time, Graves said.

Emergency crews responded and began administering lifesaving measures. The woman, whose name was not released because her family has not been notified, was transported to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Graves said there are no signs of foul play and investigators are trying to determine if drugs or alcohol were a factor.

The stretch of track that runs through Modesto has the highest train-vs.-pedestrian fatality rate in the nation, Graves said.

To reduce these incidents, the Modesto Police Department participates in operations to educate and enforce laws relating to railroad safety. On May 15, officers from Modesto Police Department teamed up with the Union Pacific Police Department during a “Rail Safe” operation in which numerous citations were issued for both vehicle and pedestrian railroad violations. Another operation is planned for late June.